Wagon hoist



April 23, 1957 c. STANSBERY WAGON HOIST Filed Feb. 4. 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

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April 23, 1957 1. C. STANSBERY WAGON HOIST Filed Feb. 4. 1954 3 Sheefcs-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. /K/? c. ,STANJBEAY ,BY I

United States Patent WAGON HOIST Ira C. Stansbery, Waterloo, Iowa Application February 4, 1954, Serial No. 408,108

4 Claims. (Cl. 214-4634) This invention relates to wagon lifts and has particular relation to a cable operated lift, particularly suitable for farm wagons.

In the operation of farming, wagon boxes are mounted on four-wheel, rubber-tired trailers which are adapted to be hauled about by tractors for gathering the farm crops and hauling them to the barn and to the market.

7 Many times the operation of unloading the wagon box is a hand-shoveling unloading operation which takes considerable work and time. The operation of unloading the box may become a mechanical operation rather than a hand operation by raising the front end of the box and thus permitting the contents to slide by gravity from the box, but the devices so far proposed have been expensive and many of them required either expensive gear reduction means or hydraulic pumps, electric or gasoline motors and the like for raising the load.

An important object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive wagon dump or unloader which may be operated merely by the tractor used for hauling the wagon.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a system of plates which form a part of the wagon lift structure so arranged that when the wagon lift is collapsed, the tricycle wheels of the tractor may roll on these plates in passing over the lift rather than over the various angle iron cross members of the lift. p

l A- still further object of the invention is to provide awa'gon lift which may be operated merely by pulling on a'cableto raise the load and a mechanism whereby the release of the cable permits the movable part of the wagon lift to lower by its own weight.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawings and following specifications, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes may be made therein as fall within the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a farm wagon and a wagon lift constructed according to one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the wagon lift alone in illustrating several of the plates employed for furnishing a runway for the tricycle wheels of the tractor.

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the lift as it appears in collapsed position.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the wagon lift in collapsed position.

Figure 5 is a schematic view illustrating the pulleys and reeving of the cables of the wagon lift.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a modified form of my wagon lift.

Figure 7 is a view in elevation of a form of wagon lift illustrated in Figure 6, also showing it in its lowered position by means of dotted lines.

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Referring more particularly to Figures 1 and 2, a wagon lift constructed according to one embodiment of my invention employs a base 10 including opposed longitudinal channel members 11 and 12 which channel members are joined at one end by a plate 13 and at the other end by means of a bar or the like 14.

The lifting arm or lift platform 16 also includes a pair of opposed channel members 17 and 18 and these members are joined by an end member 19 and a platelike cross member 21. One end of the lift member 16 is engaged to the adjoining end of the base structure 10 by means of suitable brackets pivotally engaged to the cross shaft 22. The opopsite end of the lift member 16, of course, can swing upwardly in an arcuate path and this lift member is provided with a pair of opposed spring biased pins 23 and 24 for engaging the front axle of the wagon as illustrated in dotted lines at 26.

It is obvious that if the front axle of the wagon is positioned somewhere in front of the pins 23 and 24 and the lift is raised, the axle 26 will slide downwardly until stopped by the pins 23 and 24 and the wagon will be raised where illustrated in Figure 1 to dump its load out of the rear end. The lifting means employed and illustrated herewith is an important part of my invention and one embodiment of the invention consists of the double toggle lifting linkage structure best illustrated in Figure 2. r

t In this structure I employ a four part set of links. The upperportion of the system includes two pairs of short channel members 31 and 32, 33 and 34. One pair, which we may term the front pair, is joined by a plate 36 on the upper face which Stiifens' and spaces apart the two channel members and also affords a platform for the tractor wheels as later explained. The inner pair of members 33 and 34 are likewise joined by a plate 37 and both upper members 38 and 39 are pivotally engaged at theupper ends to stub shafts such as illustrated at'41 which are secured to the side plates 17 and .18.

The lower portions of the lift mechanism include pairs of links 42 and 43, 44 and 46 with the links 42 and 43 pivotally engagedat their upper ends to the channels 31 and 32'and at their lower ends to stub shafts such as illustrated ,at 47. The links 44 and 46 are likewise engaged to channels 33 and 34 at their upper ends and to the base 10 by pivotal stub shafts 48.

Strap-like braces 51 and 52 extend downward from the side members 33 and 34 to support sheaves 53 and 54 and a pair of like members 56 and 57 support other pairs of sheaves illustrated at 58 and 59. It will be noted that these strap members extend below the pivotal point of the toggle linkage so that the sheaves gain additional leverage in actuating the toggle linkage mechanism.

A cable 61 is reeved over sheave 54, back over the pulley 58, back over the pulley 53, then over pulley 59 and dead-ended on the shaft as illustrated at 62. A guide is provided at 63 for guiding the cable 61.

When the cable 61 is pulled as, for instance, by attaching it to a tractor or a winch, the respective sheaves on the opposite end of the lift mechanism are drawn together and the lifting structure is drawn into a raised position illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 to dump the load. When the cable 61 is released, the lift structure collapses and the lift arm 16 collapses to the position shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The platform 36, in the collapsed position, forms a portion of the runway for the tricycle wheels of the tractor. The other plate 37 forms still another supporting plate for the tractor wheels and a permanent portion 64 and the incline 21 form the remaining portions of the runway for the wheels. The members 36 and 37 fill a double purpose. One purposes stifiens and connects meme Patented Apr. 23, 1957 and the other has plates on which the tractor wheels may run when the lift is in collapsed position.

In another form of the invention illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, the bottom member -71 is constructed in substantially the same manner as the bottom member 11 first described and this member is joined by channels 72 and 73 to form a rectangular base member. The upper lifting member '74 of the'wagon lift is pivotally engaged to the bottom member by means of pivotal connectors illustrated at 76 which members are parts of the bracket 77. The pair of opposed angular links 78 are pivotally engaged to the upper lifting member 74 as illustrated. These angular links are pivotally engaged at their center point to links 83 of the lower frame 71. The lower ends of the angular links 78 are connected by a cross bar 933 which carries sheaves 91 and 92. Other sheaves 88 and 89. are mounted on the channel 72 on the outer end of the frame 71 so that when the cable 86 is pulled, the respective sheaves 91 and 92 are pulled toward 88 and 89 to cause erection of the single toggle lifting linkage members of the lift.

'Although I have described two embodiments of my invention, it is apparent that modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wagon lift of the type described, a rectangular frame member, a second rectangular frame member pivotally connected to the first-named frame member at one end thereof, a toggle lifting linkage, a plurality of pulleys mounted on said toggle members, cable means for actuating said toggle linkage and a plurality of plates mounted on said second named frame member and said toggle linkage member to form a continuous surface when said first frame member and said second frame member are in parallel relation. 2

2. In a wagon lift, two frame members pivotally connected to each other at one end thereof, a toggle lifting linkage means joining said frame members at a midway point thereof, a plurality of pulleys mounted on said -toggle linkage member at a point substantially below the center point thereof to provide additional leverage, plate members mounted on the upper portion of said toggle linkage and additional plate members mounted on the upper of said frames, said toggle linkage plates and 4 said frame plates being so mounted as to form a substantially continuous supporting surface when said scissors and frame member are at rest.

3. In a device of the type described, upper and lower pivotally attached frame members, a toggle lifting linkage member interposed between said frame members, a plurality of plate members mounted on said upper frame adjacent the pivotal attaching point of said upper and lower frame members, a second pair of plate members mounted on said toggle linkage member whereby a continuous platform will be provided when said upper and lower frames and said toggle linkage member are in parallel relation, a plurality of pulleys mounted in said toggle member, a cable means adapted to actuate said pulleys and extending outwardly from one end of said frame members, and spring loaded end means mounted on one end of said upper frame member such that the pulling of said cable will cause said upper frame to rise and simultaneously bring said end into operative relation to a wagon or the like.

4. In a wagon lift, a pair of substantially rectangular upper and lower frame members, said frame members being pivotally connected at one end thereof, a double toggle lifting linkage means disposed between said frame members at a point midway thereof, said toggle linkage means comprising a pair of leg members pivotally at-.

tached to each other at their inner ends and to said upper and lower frame members at their outer ends, said leg members being of equal length, a pair of projections attached to said leg members and extending below said inner pivotal point and forming an extension of said equi-distant legs, a plate attached to said legs and said extension to form a platform, pulley means mounted on one of said extensions, a second pulley means mounted in opposition to said first mentioned pulley means, cable means threaded between said opposed pulley means and beyond one edge of said frame member, said extension being adapted to provide additional leverage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,505,645 Isaacs Aug. 19, 1924 1,564,190 Anderson Dec. 8, 1925 2,231,428 Martin Feb. 11, 1941 2,500,440 Van Orsdale Mar. 14, 1950 2,549,900 Frenzel Apr. 24, 1951 

